


Scorbunny Subduction

by MrGerudoMan



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Latex, M/M, Master/Slave, Mind Control, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:48:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24762619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrGerudoMan/pseuds/MrGerudoMan
Summary: A Commission for Mobysimo===/===/===Bede is tired of being upstaged by Victor, so he decides to take matters into his own hands and remove him from the equation, all the while getting a loyal servant in the process.===/===/===Pokemon © Nintendo, Game Freak, and The Pokemon Company
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Masaru | Victor, Hop/Masaru | Victor
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	Scorbunny Subduction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mobysimo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mobysimo/gifts).



**Scorbunny Subduction**

===/===/===

**Prelude**

**Motostoke Stadium, Motostoke, 8:00 pm**

Crowds cheer and horns blow as he final round of today’s match at Motostoke Stadium draws to a close. Victor’s Gyarados shrinks in size, the power of Dynamax dwindling from the arena. The skies above clears out, but the thunderous applause from fans and spectators watching from within and from all over the Galar region have only just begun. Motostoke Gym Leader Kabu, the master of Fire-type Pokémon, finds himself beaten. His final Pokémon, a towering Dynamaxed Centiskorch, falls to the ground in a blaze of glory, its embers doused by Gyarados’ relentless surfs and sprays, not to mention its unparalleled rage. 

“Centiskorch is unable to battle!” the announcer from the press box states over the loudspeakers, “Kabu is out of usable Pokémon, which means that the victor is Victor!” The crowd goes wild, with the young trainer from Postwick celebrating his victory on the field. 

“Alright! We did it!” he cries, jumping up and down.

“GYA!” his Gyarados roars, proud of his victory over all three of Kabu’s Fire-type Pokémon. Both trainers recall their Pokémon to their Poké Balls, and walk to the center of the pitch. 

“That was an excellent fight!” says Kabu, “Truly, I haven’t felt so much burning passion from a challenger in a long time. Probably not since I left the Hoenn region! Your power rivals that of the great Mt. Chimney!” He grabs hold of the trainer’s hand and shakes it, “Do keep the fire burning throughout your Gym Challenge, young Victor!” 

“I will!” he nods, “Thank you, Kabu!” 

The Gym Leader reaches into his back pocket, “Take this,” he says, pulling out a small token, “This badge is proof of your victory! Take it with pride!” He hands his challenger the badge the golden Fire Badge. The polished metal shines bright in the cold, harsh stadium lights, with the ruby red fire insignia emblazoned on its surface, shimmering like a roaring flame. He takes the trophy and slots it into his badge medallion.

 _Three down, five to go,_ he thinks, putting the incomplete trophy back in his bag. 

“Safe travels on your way to Stow-On-Side, and good luck against Allister!” Kabu wishes the young trainer, “Let me offer you some free advice: don’t undersetimate Allister just because he’s a kid. He’s a genius. If you’re not prepared, you’re gonna turn into one of his ghosts.” 

“I’ll, uh, I’ll keep that in mind…” Victor replies, slightly nervous by the ominous advice. 

The two exchange another handshake, and head back to the locker rooms beyond the sidelines. The floor of Motostoke Stadium shakes like an earthquake, the crowd eager to see another raucous fight. Today’s matches had all been so eventful, watching the challengers either be scorched by Kabu’s blaze, or watch him get washed out or snuffed out by their might. The people are already whispering to themselves about who was the standouts of the day, and many seem to agree it was the two newcomers from Postwick: Hop and Victor, who both decimated Kabu with their powerful Pokémon, using unique strategies or just straight up overpowering him. The crowd already has it in their heads that those two are going places, especially Victor. They cheer him on as he makes his way into the tunnel, the cheering not getting any quieter even after he leaves, as his image is put on display on the jumbotron for all to see. 

However, in one of the locker rooms, another story plays out. A boy with a mess of cream hair seethes with anger. The lockers bear the brunt of his rage, as he has punched them and formed dents that will be hard to get out. Just before Victor can arrive, he makes his way out, turning his back on the cheering fans. Their cheers weren’t meant for him anyways. 

**The Next Day**

**Rose Tower, Wyndon, 9:30 am**

“WHO DOES THAT LITTLE TWERP THINK HE IS?!” 

Aids in the Rose Tower avoid the chairman’s door, the sound of loud screaming and arguing inside deterring them more than a “Do Not Disturb” sign. The whole building seems to sway with the tones of their voices, rising and falling like the waves of the ocean. However, not gentle seaside waves, but violent tossers and powerful maelstroms, like a hurricane was overhead. Inside, the chairman argues, sitting at this desk, leaning back in his chair like it’s a throne, trying to reason with someone who cannot be reasoned with. The morning is still young, yet the bluster and anger from his guest overpowers the chairman’s calm demeanor. 

“Calm down, Bede.” Chairman Rose asks, “You’re being irrational. Try to keep it together, okay?” 

“I can’t calm down!” the trainer retorts, “How am I supposed to stay calm when this little shit from Postwick is stealing my thunder? I mean who does he think he is, anyway?! What do those roaring crowds know?! He’s a nobody! A total nobody from a town that does nothing but herd bloody Wooloo all damn day! He doesn’t know how hard I’ve worked for this chance! Sure, he and his friend are endorsed by Champion Leon, but one of them is his brother for Arceus’s sake! But you. You endorsed me, Chairman Rose! Me! That means more than anything else, right?” 

“Bede, please, you know this is a competition, right?” the chairman reasons, “Victor and Hop have just as much a right to compete as you do. Everyone has a right, regardless of who gets an endorsement or if they get one.” 

“I don’t care!” Bede slams his hands on the chairman’s desk, “I’m coming undone over all of this, chairman! I don’t know if I can take much more of being upstaged by these guys! It’s not even just the audience reactions or the condemnation I’m receiving from Gym Leaders. It’s the little fights out on the road, too! They beat me every single time, and I can’t figure out how or why!” 

“How much have you been training?” the chairman asks. 

“All the time! I dedicate all of my time to training and making sure I’m at the top of my game. Meanwhile, whenever I see those two, they’re always lollygagging and fooling around. It makes me sick thinking those lazy jokers are beating me!” Bede runs his hands through his already messy hair in frustration, “Ugh! Why can’t they just disappear!” 

“Bede! Calm down!” Chairman Rose raises his voice, causing the trainer to take notice. The chairman is normally mild mannered, and never resorts to yelling, “This discussion has gone on for long enough! I won’t have any more of it!” 

“But chairman!” Bede protests. 

“No! I won’t hear it!” the chairman shakes his head, “You can’t expect me to just wave a magic wand and have them disqualified from the competition. They haven’t done anything wrong. If you want them to stop beating you and stop the crowds from ignoring and scoffing you, then you need to do something about your training and your image. You’ve got a nasty public image I’m afraid.”

“What do they know?” Bede scoffs, “I’m the most important trainer in this competition!” 

“So you say, but I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do to help you with your situation.” he pauses for a beat, before adding under his breath, “at least not legally.” 

“Legally?” Bede raises an eyebrow, just barely hearing the chairman’s addition, “what are you getting on about, chairman?” 

“We can’t discuss this here,” he stresses, looking around, “these walls have ears, you know.” He reaches to a Poké Ball statuette on his desk, and pushes on the button on the front of the ball. Just then, the bookshelf to Bede’s right slides away, and metal elevator doors open, revealing a private, hidden elevator inside the office. The chairman gets up from his desk and motions for Bede to get in the cabin. 

“We can discuss things in private.” the chairman smiles, walking into the elevator. Bede follows him closely, unsure what exactly is happening.

There is only one button in the elevator. As soon as the chairman presses it, it lights up, as an elevator button typically does. The doors close quickly, and the cabin starts to descend down the shaft rapidly. Bede holds onto the railing, astonished by the speed the elevator moves. _I feel like I’m going to crash into the bloody ceiling if I let go,_ he thinks, noticing the chairman standing freely in the center of the cabin, his arms behind his back, waiting for the elevator to arrive at their destination, _how is he doing that?_ He didn’t have time to think it over. After only a few minutes in the cabin, they’re already at their destination. The cab stops, the locks stabilize the elevator in front of the landing doors, and then they and the cabin doors open wide. 

“What is this place?” Bede gawks, stepping out of the elevator. 

“My lab.” Chairman Rose answers, leading him in, “All of my plans and experiments and trials have happened here.” 

The lab is massive, taking up an arena-sized area directly underneath the foundations of Rose Tower. Deep under Wyndon, the chairman had been experimenting. The chamber is filled with test tubes, books, and all sorts of smells and sounds, some of which are pleasant, others not so much. The chairman leads the young, struggling trainer to a table towards the right side of the room. On top of it was a series of colorful, rubbery orbs. Their surfaces reflect light just like a shiny rubber ball, spots of life refracted over the whole room. 

“What are those?” Bede asks, “They look like rubber balls,” he studies them closer, noticing the subtle design on their surfaces, “maybe even Poké Balls.” 

“That’s an astute observation, Bede.” the chairman nods, “that’s more or less what these things are, only they have a different effect. They’re not for capturing Pokémon, but for capturing people.” 

“People? Why would you want to do that?” 

The chairman smirks, “Bede, do you have anyone you wish you would just disappear? Or maybe you want someone to have a different opinion? You want them to be an ally instead of being an adversary to you?” 

“Yeah… I suppose I’ve had thoughts like that before…. Wait a minute, don’t tell me.” 

“Yes that’s right! These devices can turn your enemies into your friends. With these, you can remove any obstruction to your path, and instead you can have an ally that will help you no matter the cost. Of course there are some… side effects I haven’t quite worked out, but as far as I’m concerned, the device works as intended.” 

“What are you getting at?” Bede asks, not sure what to think of this, “Are you saying I should…?” Bede stops himself before finishing, realizing just what he wants to use it for. A devilish smirk grows on his face, the object of his misfortunes disappearing entirely playing over and over in his head. The chairman sees his face, knowing he’s already won, and hands him a ball. It’s mostly white, with red and yellow patches and swirls in its design. He takes it, feeling it over. It feels just like a Poké Ball.

 _If anyone were to suspect, all I’d have to say is I painted it myself,_ he thinks, _What a perfect disguise._ He puts the ball in his bag, separate from his other Poké Balls so he wouldn’t confuse it when the time comes. 

“Thank you, Chairman Rose,” Bede says, “I know exactly what to do with this.” 

“I’m sure you do, and remember, you didn’t get this from me. We never had this conversation. If it comes out that you used this, there’s going to be hell to pay. This’ll generate a whole bunch of bad press if this comes out. Keep it hidden, alright?” 

“Of course. I’ll be sure no one sees me.” 

“Good,” the chairman pulls up a seat at the table with the other orbs, “now tell me your plan. All of it.” 

**Allegro**

**The Next Day**

**Route 6, 1:00pm**

“Thank you for waiting! We’ve restored your Pokémon to full health!” 

Nurse Joy hands the trainer back his team, all six Pokémon fit as a fiddle once more. Victor takes them all: Raboot, Gyarados, Boltund, Corvisquire, Gallade, and Mimikyu, and puts them back on his belt. The Poké Balls shrink down to miniature form and clip into place neatly along the sides and rear of his trainer belt for quick access. 

“Thank you, Nurse Joy!” he smiles, “Now I’m ready to head out.” 

“No problem! You’re heading to Stow-On-Side?” Nurse Joy asks, “You’re planning to take on Allister?” 

“Sure am!” the trainer answers.

“If that’s the case, you better train up your Gallade and Mimikyu on Route 6 so they’ll be in top shape to face him. He’s a master when it comes to Ghost-types after all.” 

“So I’ve heard. Kabu told me the same thing before I left Motostoke.” 

“I’ve seen your matches on TV.” Nurse Joy winks, “You’ll do fine. I know you will!” 

“Aww, shucks…” Victor blushes, scratching the back of his head. “I didn’t know you were a fan too, Nurse Joy.” 

“Oh I love watching you! All of my sisters do too!” she smiles, “and we’re all here for you when your Pokémon need to rest after a long hard fought match.” 

“Thanks!” Victor says. 

“We hope to see you again!” Nurse Joy bows as Victor turns for the door. 

_Having Nurse Joy in my corner is definitely comforting,_ he thinks, _though I wonder if she says that to every trainer._ He chuckles, _I’d probably be more impressed if Officer Jenny was a fan than Nurse Joy._ He exits the West Hammerlocke Pokémon Center and heads towards the gate. 

Victor rushes through Hammerlocke’s western gate, bound for Stow-On-Side and his next Gym Battle with the mysterious Allister. The young trainer had a wonderful time in Hammerlocke, gawking at its obsidian brick architecture, the ornate stadium where he would be having his last fight against Raihan, learning about the city’s rich history, and of course battling every trainer that he caught sight of. None of them had stood a chance against him. He’s racked up a total of zero losses since starting his journey, and now the youth is starting to feel invincible. 

“Allister isn’t gonna know what hit him!” he says, running down the road. 

Route 6 sports a diverse landscape and even more diverse Pokémon. Up ahead, he can make out red rock cliffs. Trainers dot the cliffside, standing on the ledges and natural terraces carved into and jutting out of the rock. It and the trainers stand between him and Stow-On-Side. With the goal in sight, he steps forward, ready to take on the challenge of Route 6. The sunlight is harsh, beating down on him with no mercy. _Raboot will get some good training here I bet,_ he thinks, instinctively reaching for Raboot’s Poké Ball as he approaches a patch of tall grass. Before he’s ready to throw though, Nurse Joy’s words play back in his head, and he reaches for Gallade’s Poké Ball instead. 

Luckily for him, the first Pokémon that jumps out to attack him is a Duskull, a Ghost-type Pokémon. _Just what I needed,_ he thinks, smiling. He takes Gallade’s Poké Ball in his hand, presses the button, feeling it expand in his palm, and gets ready to throw it, “Go, Gallade!” he shouts, throwing the ball towards the new battlefield. It opens up in mid air, a silver light pouring out from inside and forming Gallade on the ground below. 

“Gal!” Gallade cries, the Blade Pokémon striking a fighting pose, readying himself for the fight ahead. 

“Let’s start out strong, buddy!” Victor says, “Use Psychic!” 

“Gallade!” the Pokémon cries, focusing on the target ahead. In an instant, the area around them is blanketed in intense psychic power from Gallade’s mind. His power put pressure on the wild Duskull, greatly harming it. Ghost-types are especially weak against Psychic-types like Gallade. 

However, Psychic-types are also weak against Ghost-types. Duskull recovers from the first attack, and responds with a Shadow Ball. Dark energy gathers around the ghost, forming a ball of shadow in front of him. “Duskull!” it cries, hurling the ball at Gallade. 

“Dodge it!” Victor orders. 

“Gal!” Gallade jumps up into the air, just as the Shadow Ball crashes into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust as it hits. 

“Give him another Psychic!” the trainer orders, with his Pokémon obeying and laying down yet another powerful wave of psychic power on the wild Pokémon. 

However, from the sidelines, someone watches, completely unnoticed. Far away from the battlefield, on one of the cliffside terraces of the road, Bede watches with bated breath. 

“There you are, Victor.” he whispers, reaching back into his bag for the ball that Chairman Rose had given him, “Just a little bit longer and you’ll be mine.” He watches as Victor throws an empty Poké Ball at the weakened Duskull. The ball knocks the Pokémon in the head, opening up on contact, and sucking the Pokémon inside in a burst of red light. The ball closes, falls to the ground, and shakes. After shaking three times, it snaps closed, sealing tight. The Duskull has been captured. 

“Alright!” Victor yelps, “Great work, Gallade!” He raises his hand for a high five. 

“Gallade!” the Blade Pokémon smiles back, slapping his friend’s hand in a high five.

“Alright, let’s get a move on. Return!” Victor holds up Gallade’s Poké Ball, a beam of red light shooting out of its center button, striking and enveloping the Pokémon. In a second, his body is converted into the red light, and sucked into the ball, safe inside until he is called on again by his trainer. Victor walks over and picks up Duskull’s Poké Ball. He pulls out his Rotom Phone, which also acts as his Pokédex, and sends the Pokémon to the PC. A similar red beam shoots out of his phone’s camera and onto the Poké Ball, sucking it into itself and into his PC Boxes, along with all the other Pokémon he has captured and added to the Pokédex. As his team is full, he has to send all his Pokémon there. 

Continuing on, the young trainer makes his way to the cliff face, finding a series of ladders for him to take. Each of them make their way up the cliff in their own way. Only one of them leads to Stow-On-Side. Victor ascends the closest ladder, making his way to the first terrace on the cliffside. Trainer after trainer is waiting for him on the cliffs, and he smites them with his best. His Mimikyu and Gallade are eager to fight, and pleased with their pickings. His other Pokémon gets a few licks in as well, his whole team ready to fight their hardest, no matter the opponent. As he climbs, a few wild Pokémon come to bother him, but they don’t stand a chance. 

“Alright, let’s keep going.” Victor says as he bests his most recent opponent, a Bird Keeper perched on a rock watching the bird Pokémon. 

Bede watches him intently, waiting for the right moment to strike. He sees him come closer, feeling lucky that he took the correct ladder, and landed right in his lap. His eyes narrow, and his smile grows more devilish. The time has come. 

Victor continues on, only to run into a familiar face. “Hello there, Victor.” Bede smirks, coming out of the bushes. Victor could make out his mop of cream hair and his pink coat anywhere, “Long time no see.” 

“What is it, Bede? I’m kind of busy here.” Victor asks, not exactly pleased to see the trainer. The two of them haven’t been on good terms since they met in the Galar Mine. Bede had popped out just as he was coming up on the exit, and without even knowing anything about Victor, berated him and belittled him, and then challenged him to a battle. Of course, the rising star promptly curb stomped the braggart, but that hasn't made anything better. In fact, their animosity towards each other had only grown in the weeks and encounters that followed. 

“What? No hello back? You disappoint me, Victor. I thought we were friends.” Bede shakes his head, shrugging his shoulders.

“You have a funny way of showing friendship then.” Victor remarks, “insulting someone before you even know them, and refusing to accept that someone might just be better than you are. Yeah, that’s some friendship we have, isn’t it?” 

“Well then I guess we’ll just have to skip those formalities.” Bede says, “Just know you’re never going to beat me.” 

“Oh, so the time I beat you when we first met in the Galar Mine, and when I beat you in the Second Galar Mine, those didn’t count? They were just flukes?” 

“P-Precisely.” Bede cracks, “You got lucky! That’s all that was!” 

“Sure…” Victor rolls his eyes, “Anyways, if you’re just going to sit there and babble on all day, then would you please excuse me? I’m trying to get to Stow-On-Side as soon as possible.” The trainer from Postwick tries to brush past him, intent to get to the next city soon. Despite his strength, his Pokémon needed a rest, and he didn’t want to involve them in yet another battle. 

However, Bede won’t let him pass. The trainer stands between him and the next ladder, “Not so fast. I want to battle. Right now.” Bede insists. 

“Oh you want a curb stomping now? Bugger off, mate!” Victor spits, pushing Bede aside, and making his way up to the city himself, “Stop wasting my time!” he says as he gets closer to the next ladder. 

Bede’s rage hits a boiling point. “How dare you…” he mutters, “How dare you address me like that…” he reaches into his bag and pulls out the ball Chairman Rose gave him. 

“Address you? What are you, my master or something? Piss off.” Victor scoffs, taking hold of the first rung of the ladder. 

“That’s exactly what I am!” Bede screams, throwing the ball at Victor. 

Before the trainer can react, the ball slams into his neck, “Ow!” Victor winces, stumbling forward. He turns to Bede, the only person who could’ve thrown something at him, “What the hell was that?!” 

“Your future.” Bede smirks, “That was your future hitting you.” 

Victor doesn’t know what he means, but soon after the ball hits him, it opens up. Immediately, a sticky substance starts pouring onto the young trainer.

“What the?!” Victor yelps, feeling it pouring on him. 

The ball hovers over him, dumping more and more onto him, almost an endless supply. It forces itself under his clothes, coating his bare skin. Cold to the touch, he shudders as it ravages his body. His chest is slowly covered by the rubbery substance, inching down his body every so sensually. It slides down his arms, and wraps around them, getting under his armpits even. It wasn’t just following gravity. Before he knows it, it’s made its way past his groin, coddling his member, and packing it away. He winces as he feels an erection coming on, only to be denied right then and there, and have his package stored away tightly. So much pressure on his penis, and nothing he can do about it. His chest has grown numb from the sensation. His arms feel constricted by the liquid as it coats him. It reaches up his neck and past his ears. Two earmuffs form over his ears, connected by a headband discreetly hidden under his hair. From there, bunny ears sprout out from the top of his head, white with red tips. 

“Gyah!” he moans, “M-Make it stop!” he pleads, feeling it reach his feet. It makes its way past his knees, and quickly advances on his feet. It wraps itself around his feet perfectly, covering every nook and cranny, every contour and bone popping out. His toes are individually wrapped in toe socks, and his arches are caressed like they’re handled by the hands of a master masseur. Victor has always had a thing for his feet, feeling them, massaging them, servicing them. He can’t get enough of them. Feeling his feet violated in the same way as in his wildest dreams nearly sends him over the edge, but alas, his erection is locked away, forever lost to him.

He tears open his jacket, and then rips off his shirt, wanting to see the extent of the damage. To his shock and horror, his whole body above the hips is covered in white rubber, and already starting to harden. The glossy liquid turns solid, clinging to his body. He gasps for breath as it clutches his member, like some cruel foreplay. His hands are coated in the rubber as well, forming tight fitting and flexible gloves. His feet are coated in similarly tight socks, with each toe given its own space, in red rubber rather than white. He tries to rip off the suit, but it won’t come off. Suddenly, there’s a jolt in his ass. He feels something forcing its way in. Victor yelps as it makes its way through him, penetrating him with great speed. It wastes no time to establish itself, plugging his ass like a shower drain, and with the security of a bank vault. 

“Get this off me!” Victor screams, pulling at the suit, but it clings to him tight, only stretching out. Eventually, it feels like he’s tearing out his own skin as he pulls, “Ouch!” he yelps as it tears his skin, “Wh-What is this stuff?! ANSWER ME BEDE!” 

“I-I don’t know… the cha-” he stops himself, nearly giving up the secret he holds with the chairman. 

Bede’s heart skips a beat. “What have I done?” he mutters, “What have I done?!” His eyes grow wide with shock and fear, the gravity of the situation setting in. He looks around, seeing how public the area is. No one has noticed, but that wouldn’t last for long. Surely, there’s someone coming, and they will take Victor’s side. He’ll be ruined if he’s spotted. 

“ACK!” Victor screams, something pulsing in his head. Bede watches as the trainer convulses and struggles to stand, his hands on his head, like he’s suffering from a debilitating, splitting migraine. Before he can reach out to help, Victor collapses on the ground, growing silent and motionless. 

“Uh… Victor?” Bede asks, kneeling down. He puts his hand on his neck, checking for a pulse. “Good, he’s still alive. Probably just passed out from sensory overload. Phew…” Bede breathes a sigh of relief, “I can handle… whatever this is, but murder is another thing.” He looks around, looking for anywhere he can hide for the time being, “I can’t stay here.” he says, getting up and pulling Victor by the shoulders. He grabs the trainer’s things and stacks them on top of him as he tries to find shelter. 

_He looks like a Scorbunny,_ he notices as he drags him off, _And his body is covered in rubber. It’s… actually kind of hot._ He feels an erection growing in his pants, but he didn’t have time to rub one out. 

Eventually, and luckily not that far from where they were, he finds a cave for them to hide in. It’s small, but it has a curve in it, so they would be hidden away from the entrance. He backs in, rounds the corner, and plops Victor down in the corner, out of sight of any passerbys. He places his ear on Victor’s chest, listening to his heart and lungs. He can hear his breath, noticing it’s heavy. His pulse is normal. 

“Whatever that ball did to him, it’s not going to kill him,” he deduces, “Guess that means I just need to wait for him to wake up.” He lets out a sigh, and lowers his head, “Chairman, what the hell have you created?” 

He takes a minute to survey the landscape. “The cave is off the beaten path. It’s likely no one is going to come over here. The main road is a good dozen meters away. We should be safe here.” He sits down at the entrance of the cave, leaning back against the wall, and waits for Victor to wake up. 

**Rondo**

**Inside Victor’s Mind**

Gyah! What’s going on? Where am I? Ack! My body hurts… wait.. I’m naked? Why am I naked? No wonder I’m freezing. It’s… it’s really dark here? Is anyone there? Can you help me? I don’t know where this is. Or… what this place is. Can somebody hear me? Anybody? Hello?

 _Silence_.

Ok… this is really creepy. Brr… it’s really cold here… I wish I had clothes on... oh Arceus where am I?

_Silence._

Ok ok pull it together Victor. Pull yourself together! You’re gonna be the next Champion! Champions aren’t afraid of the dark. You can get through this! 

Ok, let’s see. What was I doing before I came here? I… uh… oh fuck what was I doing? I’m drawing a blank. Think, Victor! Think! You couldn’t have forgotten about it already! It just happened… right? Oh crap how long have I been here? No. Don’t do that. You’re not going to get depressed like that. Alright, calm down. Close your eyes. Think: where were you? Where were you and what were you doing?

I… I remember cliffs, and ladders. Red rock. It was really hot too, almost like I was close to a desert. Fire… no, I already beat Kabu. It wasn’t Motostoke. I was… I was on my way to Stow-On-Side! Yeah! I was on Route 6 on my way to Stow-On-Side to challenge Allister. I was training, and getting stronger so I could take on his Ghost-types. Everyone was warning me to not underestimate him just because he was a kid, so I was spending longer than usual on the route. That’s when I… I ran into someone. Who was it? He was… familiar. I know that. He’s... someone I don’t like... 

Bede. Oh no... did he do this to me? Argh! Where are you Bede?! Come out and fight me, you coward! Show yourself! 

_Silence._

Ugh, look at me, arguing with the void. I’m gonna go crazy if I keep staring into the abyss like this. 

_You’re not crazy..._

Wh-who was that? Who’s there? 

_Don’t worry, I’m a friend... you must be cold... standing out here with nothing on..._

Uh... yeah, I’m pretty cold actually. Wait, why am I telling you this? Who are you?! What am I doing here?! Answer me?!

_You’re in a safe place... no one will harm you here... you’re in the deepest part of your mind... far away from the world... no one will harm you here..._

In my... mind? Am I... am I in a coma? 

_No... You’re still conscious... you will wake up eventually...._

That’s a relief. Wait, if I’m in my mind, then... are you my conscience? Are you the voice in my head telling me right from wrong? 

_I am... I am your conscience... I am your deepest, subconscious desires... I am your best kept secrets... I am your pain... I am your pleasure... I am your anger... I am your happiness... I am your sadness... I am your love... I am your id... I am you..._

Okay... why don’t you show yourself then, huh? Why don’t you prove to me you're really my subconscious. 

_Very well..._

Wait.. what’s that light? Ack! It’s so bright! Argh! My eyes... Wait... who’s that? It looks like... me? Wh-What’s going on here? Who are you? 

_I told you... I’m you...._

Well... that’s pretty clear now... you look just like me... Only... better... You look good. You’re wearing some catsuit. It looks warm. Scuba diving? Or is it something else? Looks comfy. Brr... It’s still so cold here. 

_You look cold... you should put on some clothes..._

What clothes? There’s nothing he-ack! What’s that? It’s so... warm... it feels so warm... hey what’s creeping up my legs? 

_Your clothes..._

It’s white... and rubbery... it’s really tight.... Hey! What are you doing with my junk? Ack! It’s... so good... but I can’t do anything with it... You locked it away! 

_You won’t need it... you have enough to make yourself happy without that..._

Yeah right... It is kinda cute in that little bulge... Oh yeah that feels good. Keep going... Oh yeah... right up to my neck... Let’s do it... So warm... so good... Oh yeah get right up under my fingers and toes... That’s the stuff. Ouch! Hey, what’s going on? It’s in my ass! 

_You won’t need it..._

Umm... Okay, what if I have to poop? Ah forget about it... Hey this thing feels really good. I feel really warm and it’s so tight on my body... wait... why does this stuff feel familiar? 

_Because you want it to... you’ve always wanted to wear latex..._

Is that what this is? Latex? Well I guess it does feel like it. Hey, it’s creeping up my neck now. Why is it doing that? Oh... what’s going on. It’s on my ears! Get it off! Don’t go in my ears please! 

_It won’t harm your ears... You need those..._

No shit... 

_But you will have some new ears as well..._

Say what? Wait... hey, are these bunny ears on my head? 

_Yes... a Scorbunny’s ears..._

Huh... neat! I get to be a cute little Scorbunny! 

_Yes... a cute Scorbunny who serves his master..._

Master? What are you talking about? I don’t have a master. I make my own decisions. I don’t serve anyone but myself and I look out for my friends. That’s it. I don’t serve any masters. 

_You misunderstand... you want to serve a master... and you have been given the chance... now you must take it... you have always wanted to serve a master... you have always wanted to be a latex slave... now’s your chance..._

Yeah right... that’s not... true... is it? Wait... you said you’re my id?

_Correct..._

Id, id, id... Gotta brush up on this... That’s Freud. Id... What did Freud say the id was? Primitive desires. Aggressive desires. Sexual desire... Oh wow... this is deep. 

_You know I’m right..._

I.. I don’t know... that seems... sketchy... and illegal...

_You know you want a master... you want to serve your master... you love him..._

Wh-What’s this? I can see something... Is that... Bede? He’s sitting over me... Is he cooking something? Am I.. I’m lying down... Wait... Bede... He did this to me! He brought me here! Don’t tell me... He’s my master? 

_You want to serve Master Bede... You love Master Bede..._

No.. No! NO! NO! 

**In the Real World**

**Isolated Cave, Route 6, 6:30pm**

“NO!” 

Victor crashes awake, screaming and yelling and kicking and flailing as he wakes up from his long slumber. Bede looks in horror as he claws at his head, and rushes the cave entrance to get out.

“Calm down, Victor!” Bede orders, holding him back, “You’re safe!” 

“No no no! I refuse!” Victor pleads, “I won’t do it!” The young trainer is delirious. He tries to resist Bede, but he can’t do it. His body is too weak. The trainer is forced back into the cave, where his captor pins him to the wall. The stressed trainer struggles, kicking and screaming as Bede keeps him there, waiting for him to tire out. He looks down, thankful his curry was spared, as well as the fire he set. 

Victor continues to struggle, pounding his head against the rock in agony, and kicking at Bede to try and get him to go. However, his kicks lack force, and Bede isn’t shaken. He resists the blows, and slowly, Victor loses energy. His head starts to hurt, the result of continuously hitting it against the hard rock wall he’s pinned too. 

“No... no no.. I’m not... a slave...” he mumbles as he loses consciousness again. Eventually, the young trainer falls to the ground, crashing down and returning to the world within his mind, leaving Bede speechless. 

“What the bloody hell was that?” he gasps, “What the hell is going on in his head?” He reaches into his bag and prepares an ice pack to put on Victor’s sore head, slipping it under his head where the bruise is, before returning to his fire to cook his curry for dinner. 

The moon is starting to rise, and the sun is setting in tandem. As Bede prepares dinner, Victor continues his conversation with himself. 

**Inside Victor’s Mind**

GYAH! What the hell was that?!

_You momentarily regained consciousness… you caught sight of your master… you panicked…_

Bede… Is not my master! Stop calling him that! I hate that guy!

_Why? Do you know why you hate him?_

I… I hate him because he’s a prick! There! He’s a horrible person. He’s not nice. He’s rude. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself! Why on earth would I ever bow down to somebody like that?! Are you crazy?! Do you really expect me to believe that I’m going to serve him?

_But you want to serve someone… don’t you?_

I… what did you say?

_You want to serve someone… dont’ you? You crave subjugation... isn’t that right?_

I… I don’t know what you mean! I’ve never wanted that!

_You’re lying to yourself… You’ve always wanted to be in service to another… You crave domination… You crave subjugation… You don’t want to be someone who chooses what to do… You want to follow the lead of a master… your master… Bede…_

I... I don’t understand… I haven’t wanted that… have I? I don’t know anymore!

_You know I’m right… You know deep down that you’ve always wanted this…_

I… I can’t… 

_Just let it go… let all your inhibitions go… let them drift away… let your free will flow down the river… wash it away… you are only a servant… just the way you’ve always wanted… deep down., you know this is the truth…. you know you’re nothing more than a slave… loyal to your master… and ever faithful to his ideals…_

I… I… 

_Give in…_

...you’re right… you’re absolutely right… I’ve wanted to be a slave for a long time now… 

_When did you first discover this longing?_

I was looking at internet porn, looking at a dom that completely took over a sub. This sub doing everything the dom asked. I started getting hard thinking about me being the sub. I-I guess I’ve been holding it back for a while now… I was really embarrassed. No one knows about it. It’s my deepest darkest secret. 

_Good… you’re finally understanding…_

I… I still don’t know about this… 

_Relax… you know you want this…_

Well I know that… but… him? 

_He came to you… he wants you…_

He.. he wants me? 

_Yes… he chose you to be his servant… he wants you by his side forever… he loves you, Victor…_

He… loves me... H-how? 

_He chose you… He wants you…_

Well… he’s had a funny way of showing it these past few weeks. 

_Forget about your past… only think about the future…_

Forget about the past? Wh-why would I do that? 

_Just relax… and give in… let your worries go…_

Let my… worries… go… Y-Yeah… I-I’ll do that… I’ll let… my… worries… go… 

_Good… Now who is your master…_

M-My master is… is… Bede…

_Good… what do you want to do?_

I-I want to… to serve… my master… I want to make him happy… I want… I want to be his slave… 

_Good… what do you love doing more than anything?_

I love being in latex… I love… I love serving my master… Master Bede… I live to serve him… 

_Good… do you have any free will?_

N-No… I live to serve my master… Master Bede… I do everything… for him… I don’t think for myself… I serve M-Master Bede… I let him make all the decisions… I am Master Bede’s… slave… 

_Good… what will you do now?_

I will… I will serve my master… I don’t want to do anything but serve my master… Master Bede… Master Bede is everything… He is everything to me… 

_Good… now go to sleep, Victor… Let your mind just wash away… Let yourself go… Sleep, Victor… sleep, slave…_

I serve… Master… Bede… I s-serve… Master… Bede… s-sleep… s-s-serve… Master… B-B-Be...de… 

_Your master will be waiting for you when you wake up… Sleep tight, slave…_

**Rallentando**

**Secret Cave, Route 6, 7:00am**

The embers from Bede’s fire have grown cold as morning breaks in the Galar region. Route 6 is quiet, with only the sound of the rustling grass in the wind filling the air. Bede wakes up, his mind groggy from his dreams and his body aching from the stone ground. The poor trainer hadn’t slept with a sleeping bag or even a blanket. He was worried that Victor would wake up in the middle of the night and make a run for it. He couldn’t have that. 

“Ugh… I feel like I just slept on the back of a rampaging Tauros.” he moans, looking around, “Ok good, Victor is still here and he’s still sleeping.” The trainer crawls over to his captive, checking to see how he’s doing. 

Victor is sleeping soundly in the corner of the cave, just where Bede had left him after his outburst. A wet towel is on his head, placed there after Bede noticed how much he was sweating, and how short his breath was. The ice pack was long gone from when the two of them fought and Victor had hit his head. He sits down next to him, waiting for him to wake up. His breath is slow, and controlled. His chest rises and falls in regular intervals with each breath. Sleeping like a rock, and just as silent. 

_He’s so peaceful,_ Bede thinks, _Like he’s just sleeping in his bed._ A shiver runs down his spine, _Oh I hope this works. He’s gonna hate me if it doesn’t. Oh Arceus why did I do this? Chairman why did you tempt me with something like this?!_ He runs his hands through his hair, nearly pulling out strands in frustration. His anxiety gets to him, as all the negative thoughts about the situation come back all at once. 

Just then, Victor’s eyes squint. He moans slightly, causing Bede’s anxiety attack to pause. His eyes blink open, still heavy from his slumber. They wander around the cave, unsure where he is or what he’s doing there. Then, he locks onto Bede’s face.

“Oh, hi Master!” Victor smiles, sitting up. His rubbery body squeaks as he lifts himself up off the ground, “Did you sleep well?” 

Bede’s eyes widened, the trainer caught off guard by Victor’s greeting, “Oh, I… uh… I slept alright…” Bede stammers. 

“Is something wrong, Master Bede?” Victor asks, looking worried, “You sound confused.” 

“I-I guess you could say that,” Bede scratches his cheek, “I’m just not used to you calling me that yet.” 

“Really? That’s strange. I feel like I’ve been calling you that my whole life.” Victor admits. 

“That’s… how?” Bede’s eyes widened with shock, “Hold on hold on. Why don’t we just back up a bit here. Why don’t you introduce yourself? Tell me a little bit about yourself. Say we’ve never met before and you’re trying to tell me who you are.” 

“Oh alright then,” Victor nods, getting off of his butt and kneeling in front of Bede. He kneels like the servant of a king, “I am Victor of Postwick, and I am a servant to Master Bede. I live to serve Master Bede and I will do anything and everything for my master. I will defend him to the death and I will walk with him to the ends of the earth.” He looks up, staring his master dead in the eyes, “I am dedicated to you, Master Bede. Please, use me to your heart’s content. I will never falter. I will never disobey you. I am your Scorbunny slave. Use me. Abuse me. I don’t care. I can’t care. My emotions are irrelevant. I only serve you. My body is yours.” the servant takes a deep breath, smiling at his master, “So how did I do? Did I give a good enough introduction?” 

Bede is left speechless. He stumbles backwards, backing into the wall behind him, completely shell shocked by Victor’s introduction. He had followed his order to the letter, and also confirmed his wishes. “It… it worked…” Bede gasps, “It actually worked… hehe…” 

“Master Bede?” Victor cocks his head, confused. 

“HAHA! IT ACTUALLY WORKED! MY PLAN WORKED PERFECTLY!” Bede yells, “The chairman was right! I can’t believe it! Haha! Victory is mine!” 

“Yeah! Victory is all yours Master Bede!” Victor smiles, clapping his hands, “Whatever that victory is.” 

“The Pokémon League! I’m going to be the champion thanks to you, my loyal servant.” Bede smirks, “With you as my slave, there’s nothing standing in my way!” 

“The Pokémon League… that sounds familiar…” Victor wonders, “I feel like I was a competitor in that at one point… But I don’t know how that’s possible. I’ve been your slave for as long as I can remember… Unless I was competing at your orders?” 

“That’s exactly how you were in the League!” Bede lies, “You were competing in the League at my discretion. You were actually doing really well, but you were going to forfeit if you got into the championship.” 

“Ah alright then!” Victor nods, “That makes sense! That makes so much sense, Master Bede! What a smart plan!” 

“Isn’t it?” Bede smirks, “Now then, I need you to do something.” 

“Anything for you, Master Bede.” his slave says, “Give me your orders.” 

“I need you to protect me. I need you to defend me from threats. I want you to train to be a bodyguard for me. I don’t want anyone coming between me and you.” 

“Yes, Master.” Victor nods, “I’ll train myself to fight and I’ll defend you from any threats. Nothing will get in your way and no threat will get close to you under my watch. I swear it.” 

“Good,” Bede smiles, standing up, “Now let’s get started, my pet.”

“Yes, Master Bede.” Victor stands up and follows his master out of the cave and into the morning light. He doesn’t realize it, but he’s taken the first steps into a brand new life, serving Bede ever faithfully. As for Bede himself, he couldn’t be happier to have a willing servant like this, especially one that was formerly a thorn in his side. 

**Accelerando**

**A Few Days Later**

**Outside Stow-On-Side Stadium, Stow-On-Side, 6:00pm**

The evening sun is harsh on the small western Galar town of Stow-On-Side. An eventful match has just concluded inside the stadium, with Bede and his slave Victor besting the boy wonder Allister without even breaking much of a sweat. However, the fight hadn’t been what caught people’s eyes the most. No, it’s Victor’s new outfit that caught their attention. He still brought the power, and dominated just like he always does, but this time, his outfit caught the audience’s attention the most. 

“What was he wearing under his uniform?” “Did you see Victor? He had bunny ears on! What’s up with him?” “Hey, did you see that suit under Victor’s uniform? Isn’t it really cute?” “I don’t know what that kid’s thinking, but he’s about to throw his whole life away wearing something like that to an official battle.” “I think it’s actually kinda cute. I kinda wanna wear one.” “Wasn’t the Unovan champion known for wearing something similar. I think his name was Nate?” “Whatever it is, it’s odd, that’s for sure, and sudden.” The audiences’ observations seemed to be endless, as was the depths of their confusion. Not that Victor cares about them anymore. All he cares about is his master. 

“Alright then,” Bede turns to his slave, strutting around the city in just his latex Scorbunny suit, “We’ve got a quest from the Chairman. We have to collect Wishing Stars from around the Galar region for his research. There’s some here, I’m sure of it.” He takes out a Poké Ball from his bag, “The chairman gave me a Pokémon that will help with digging these things up. I’m going to go up to the ancient mural and see if there’s anything up there. I want you to stand guard down here. Notify me if anyone starts coming over to the mural.” 

“Yes, Master.” Victor nods, “I’ll make sure to tell you if anything’s suspicious. Permission to neutralize any targets on my own?” 

“Permission denied. Let’s not get into any fights yet.”

“Yes, Master.” With that, the two separate, with Bede heading up the path towards the ancient mural painted on the cliffside above Stow-On-Side, and Victor staying behind at the foot of the trail to watch for any suspicious activity. 

It doesn’t take long for someone to get on Victor’s radar. A young trainer exits the gym, wearing a grey jacket with a fur lining around the hood, tight leggings, and purple hair styled in a point on his head, almost in the shape of a beanie cap. His yellow eyes peer ahead, scanning the area for the way forward, as well as any challengers that might want to try and ruin his perfect record. Victor catches sight of him, sensing danger from him. However, something is familiar about this person to the slave. 

_He looks familiar,_ he thinks, _but I can’t figure out where I’ve seen him before. I know he’s a Gym Challenger like me and Master Bede, but I know I’ve seen him in other instances. But where…?_ He shakes his head, _No I shouldn’t be thinking about this. All I need to think about is if he’s a threat or not._ He decides to play it safe and notify Bede regardless. He puts his hand on one of his headphones, acting as a radio between him and his master. “Master Bede,” he says, “I’ve got someone down here that might be suspicious. Purple hair, yellow eye, grey jacket, fleece hood, name unknown.” 

“That’s just that loser brother of the Champion’s: Hop.” Bede scoffs via the radio, “You don’t have to worry about him.” 

“Affirmative.” However, before Victor can make sense of the situation, Hop notices him. The trainer walks up to the slave, smiling as if they were friends. 

“Hey, Victor! That was a great battle you had in there! Allister didn’t know what hit him!” Hop says, gleeful.

“Oh.. uh… thanks,” Victor replies, struggling to make small talk, “Your battle was pretty good too, Hop.” 

“Haha! Well I did struggle a little bit,” Hop rubs his nose, “he had me on the ropes for a bit with his Ghost-types. But I managed to make it through with my Pokémon! They battled their hearts out there, and I think the audience liked it!” 

“I know I did. I was watching it on the TVs in the locker room.” Victor smiles, “You did really good despite the odds.” 

“Yeah… but I gotta ask you,” Hop squirms, looking up and down Victor’s body, “What’s with the new outfit? Is that a latex suit? You look like a Scorbunny, dude? Where did you get it? It looks awesome! Can I get one too?” 

“Oh this?” Victor points to his suit, “This is a gift from my master.” 

“Wait wait hold up. Master?” Hop raises an eyebrow, “What’s this rubbish about a master? What are you, a bloody slave? That’s rich, Victor, really! Now what’s the real reason? Did you find it at some Kalosian boutique? I’ve heard latex suits like that are starting to be in fashion over there.” 

“Uh… I’m not kidding.” Victor says, confused, “I have a master, and I serve him without question. I do everything for him. I’m his slave and I don’t want anything more than to belong to him.” 

Hop takes a step back, eyes wide with shock, “Okay Victor… this is getting really creepy. Y-You don’t have to take this ruse this far. You can tell the truth, man. I’m not judging. I actually really like it. I wanna know where you got it. Just… you don’t have to lie about it this much. It’s nothing to be ashamed of man. I mean you saw how we looked in the water uniform. We looked bloody awesome in that thing, and it’s a one piece swimsuit, and we wore it nonstop for like a week!” Hop notices Victor’s blank expression, not changing throughout his speech, “D-Do you remember that, Victor?” 

“Remember what?” Victor asks, “I don’t remember that. In fact, I don’t know who you are.” 

“Y-you can’t be serious.” Hop takes another step back, “H-How can you not remember me? W-We’ve been friends since we were kids! We grew up together. We played together. We herded Wooloo together. We went on this adventure together! My brother gave us both our first Pokémon at the same time! You don’t remember any of that?!” 

“No.” Victor shakes his head, “I’m sorry, Hop.” 

“I-I…” Hop stammers, in disbelief. Then, he rushes forward, grabbing Victor by the shoulders, and shaking him vigorously, “S-Snap out of it, Victor! You can’t forget about me! You can’t forget! I-I’m your best friend! Please, snap out of it, man!” tears roll down Hop’s face, his friend’s predicament setting in, “I-I don’t know what I’ll do without you, Victor…. Please… come back!” Hop’s hands let go of Victor’s shoulders, the trainer falling to his knees, sobbing as he comes to the realization that his friend is gone. Victor’s mind is locked, and his memories deserted. 

“I-I’m sorry.” Victor bows his head, “I-I just don’t know who you are. I’m sure we had a past together, given how you’re reacting, but I just can’t remember it. I don’t know what I can do to help you. I can ask my master about this, but I ca-.” 

“Your master, right?” Hop interrupts, wiping his tears away. He slowly starts getting back up, recovering his strength, “Well why don’t you tell me just who your fucking master is then, Victor? Who’s the bastard that took you away from me?!” 

Victor pauses for a beat, caught off guard by Hop’s harsh language towards his master, “My master is Bede.” Victor admits, “Master Bede is who I serve.” 

“Ha! Bede? That punk? He’s the one that did this to you? Figures. He couldn’t beat you in a fight, he knew he was falling behind to you in the Gym Challenge, so he had you turned into his slave so he wouldn't have any more competition in the League! That sounds just like him to do something so slimy!” 

“That’s not true!” Victor retorts, “Master Bede would never do something like that!” 

“O-ho?” Hop coos, “You really think that? It sure is convenient that he would do this right in the middle of the Gym Challenge then!” 

“Stop it!” the slave pleads, putting his hands over his headphones, “I don’t wanna hear any of this anymore!” 

“Hey Hop, what’s going on?” a new voice calls to them. Hop turns to see Sonia walking up towards them. The hearts in her ponytail were just as random as ever. She stared at them with her aqua eyes, piercing through him and onto Victor, curious about his outfit and behavior, just like a professor would be, “What’s up with Victor? I saw he was wearing something weird under his uniform, but I never thought it would be… this.” 

“You tell me.” Hop shrugs, “He says he doesn’t remember me. Says Bede is his master or some shit.” 

“Bede? That’s really strange.” Sonia puts her hand on her chin, “You two weren’t getting along all that well during the beginning of the Gym Challenge. Why would you think something like that now, Victor?” 

“I always have!” Victor cries, clawing at his brain, “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I’m Master Bede’s slave! I’ve always been his slave! Now leave me alone!” 

“Wow… he’s really distraught.” Sonia gasps, “Whatever happened to him, this isn’t helping. We need to talk to Bede. Where is he, Victor?” 

“He’s-” Victor begins, struggling to spit it out, “He’s up-” 

**BOOM!**

The three of them stumble as the whole ground shakes with a loud boom. “What was that?!” Hop cries, looking around, “An earthquake?!” 

“No it can’t be!” Sonia reasons, “Stow-On-Side doesn’t get earthquakes!” she looks around, noticing a cloud of dust coming from the mural site, “Someone’s messing with the mural! Look!” She points to the top of the hill, where a cloud of dust starts billowing down into the city below. Victor and Hop look up in horror watching as through the dust cracks start forming on the cliff face. 

“Is that where Bede is?” Hop asks, eyes wide with fury. Victor doesn’t answer, his face stricken with panic and fear. Hop grabs hold of his friend’s shoulders and shakes him again, trying to get him to snap out of his daze, “Is that or is that not where Bede is at?! He could be in danger! Tell me!” 

“Y-Yes!” Victor confirms, “Master Bede said he was looking for Wishing Stars. He said he was going to look up by the mural for some.” 

“He’s probably digging for them!” Sonia curses, “We have to stop him! He’s going to destroy the mural!” the professor’s granddaughter rushes up the ramp towards the Stow-On-Side mural. Victor tries to stop her, but he’s too emotionally stunned to do anything. Hop takes him by the arm and leads him up the ramp himself. 

“Wh-What are you doing?!” Victor protests, “Let go of me! I have to stand guard! Master Bede ordered me to!” 

“Ah give it a rest Victor!” Hop spits, “Your ‘master’ could be in danger here, and I want answers, dammit! So, you’re coming with me to see what bloody shitshow he’s gotten himself into!” 

With Victor in tow, Hop runs at full speed up to the mural site. The two arrive just in time, catching sight of the crude prehistoric painting on the cliffside. No one knows exactly what it’s supposed to depict or what inspired its painting, but the mural had become a national treasure and symbol of Stow-On-Side. So, it came as a shock to Sonia and Hop that someone would try to destroy it. Bede stands at the command of a Copperajah, who continuously rams against the cliff face, causing cracks to form in the mural’s façade. 

“Keep it up, Copperajah!” Bede commands, “Those Wishing Stars will be ours just as soon as we get rid of this drab picture. Headbutt!” 

“COPPERAJAH!” the Pokémon cries, charging ahead to ram the cliff. It slams into the rock like a battering ram, causing more damage to the mural. 

“Stop this, Bede!” Sonia pleads, “This isn’t worth it!” 

“Oh, you.” Bede rolls his eyes, “the professor wannabe. What do you want?” He looks over the other guests, scoffing as he catches sight of Hop, “Oh, would you look at that? The Champion’s loser brother! Tell me, how badly did Allister curbstomp you? I’m surprised you’re even still in this competition. It must just be your brother’s endorsement.” 

“You better shut your mouth if you know what’s good for you, Bede.” Hop spits, “After what you’ve done to Victor, and now this, I don’t think I’d care if you drop dead right now.” 

“What do you mean ‘done with Victor?’” Bede asks, before noticing someone hiding behind Hop. The creme haired trainer’s demeanor turns from braggadocious to panicked in an instant, seeing the bunny ears popping up over Hop’s head, knowing immediately who that is. 

“V-Victor!” Bede stammers, “Wh-What are you doing here?” 

“I-I’m sorry, Master,” Victor cries, coming out of hiding, and kneeling in front of his master, “Th-They forced me to tell them everything. I-I didn’t think they were a threat to you, so I didn’t stop them. I-I’m so sorry! I failed you!” 

Hop looks at his friend’s groveling, disgusted, “Get up, Victor!” Hop demands, grabbing hold of his collar and pulling him back up on his feet, “This isn’t like you, man! Snap out of it!” 

“Hmph!” Bede scoffs, “Figures he would get weak knees. Whatever. I’ve got things to do, so if you two can just leave me alone, that’d be great. Now, Copperajah! Destroy the mural!” 

“Coppera!” the Pokémon cries, ramming the mural for the final time. Its head crashes into the rocks harder than it had ever before. Cracks rip across the face of the cluff, splintering as they ascend, shattering the work into several pieces. A cloud of dust kicks up as the rocks fall, the shards of the ancient work falling to the plaza below. The group takes cover from the debris, and tries to hide their emotions as a piece of Galar’s history is destroyed. 

“Hmph, what a worthless painting it was anyways,” Bede scoffs, “now, where are those Wishing Stars?” 

“That’s enough Bede!” Sonia orders, “Stop this at once! You’ve destroyed enough of our heritage today!” 

“Hmph, heritage? You think I care about that? What’s a pile of rocks to the power of the Wishing Stars? To the power of Dynamax? To the power of Pokémon?! Nothing! It’s all rubbish, and I’m going to prove it!” he turns to Victor, “Restrain her!” 

“Yes, Master!” Victor nods, promptly getting up and grabbing Sonia’s arms, pulling them behind her back.

“Ouch! Victor, what’s gotten into you?!” she yelps, “That hurts! Let go of me!” 

“I can’t do that,” Victor shakes his head, “I can’t disobey Master Bede.” 

“He’s not your master!” Hop pleads, “You don’t have a master, dammit! You’re your own master, don’t you understand?! Stop this, Victor!” 

“Hmph, you can keep squabbling with my slave all you want. He’s not going to listen to you.” Bede insists, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.” 

“That’s quite enough, Bede.” 

A familiar face cuts through the noise and the dust, one that stops Bede dead in his tracks. All four of them turn around to see none other than Chairman Rose and his assistant Oleana standing at the top of the ramp, watching the whole thing unfold. Bede’s jaw hits the ground, and his heart skips beats like an off kilter record. The trainer rushes over to the chairman, expecting to be praised.

“Chairman!” Bede yelps, “What are you doing here?” 

“I came to see how things were going, as well as to watch all your matches at Stow-On-Side.” the chairman states, looking up at the ruins of the mural, “Though I never thought something like this would happen. Something this… barbaric.” 

“Barbaric? It’s just a painting, and I had to find those Wishing Stars. I’m sure there were some of them buried in the rock here. This is an ancient site after all.” Bede tries to justify his abhorrent actions, yet it seems his excuses are falling on deaf ears.

“Bede, I’m incredibly disappointed in you.” the chairman shakes his head, “This is not what I had in mind when I told you to find Wishing Stars for me, and this is certainly not the type of behavior becoming of someone who I have given my endorsement.” He turns to see Victor restraining Sonia, “Victor? What are you doing holding Sonia like that? Did Bede tell you to do it?”

“Yes, sir. He ordered me to.” Victor admits, “I have to do it.” 

“That’s unfortunate.” the chairman shakes his head, “I was worried he would find out about the old technology. I’m ashamed of myself for letting him find it.” 

“‘Let me find it’? Are you insane? You showed it to me, Chairman Rose!” Bede yells, “You showed me the ball and you showed me your plans! I know all about the truth!” 

“That’s enough Bede. I won’t have any more of this back and forth, and I won’t hear any of your lies. You’ve tarnished my reputation with this brazen act, and you’ve stolen technology from my laboratories. I have no choice but to have you disqualified from the Gym Challenge. From this moment forward, you will no longer be associated with the Galar Pokémon League or my company. Now please, surrender peacefully and leave amicably before I have to arrest you for destruction of a national monument.” 

“Oh that’s rich!” Bede laughs, “I don’t think so, you backstabbing liar! Victor! Take down the chairman!” 

“Yes Master!” Victor obeys his master’s order, letting go of Sonia and charging at the chairman ready to attack him. He clenches his hand into a fist, preparing to punch the chairman right in the face. Oleana gets into position to block it, but the chairman waves her off, facing Victor alone. He seems confident that he will win against the trained assailant. Bede smirks, ready to see some action unfold between the two. 

“Scorbunny, return!” the chairman orders Victor. Just then, the assailant’s legs buckle, his eyes close, and his body goes limp as he crashes into the ground. The young trainer is sound asleep, completely unconscious upon hearing the chairman’s order. 

Bede is left stunned and confused, “Wh-What just happened?! What did you do to him?!” 

“I used his kill word. I overrode your programming and shut him down with that simple command. You stole technology from my laboratory. You didn’t think that I would have some sort of failsafe in place in case you used it rashly? You think very little of me, Bede.” he reaches down and scoops up Victor in his arms, the trainer’s body limp and heavy, his head falling into the chairman’s shoulder, “Oleana, have Bede arrested for his crimes here. Make sure the cops know he should be booked for destruction of the Stow-On-Side mural, the theft of property from Rose Tower, and the unlawful servitude and manipulation of Victor of Postwick. Take him away.” 

“Wh-What the?! You can’t arrest me!” Before Bede can resist, Oleana comes up from behind him and puts handcuffs on him, restraining him. 

“Come with me,” she says, pushing Bede forward, leading him by the shoulder down towards the city.

“This isn’t over yet! I will have my revenge! You hear me?! I will be Champion of the Galar region! Mark my words!” The trainer is led away in handcuffs down the ramp by Oleana, right into the hands of police waiting for them at the bottom in the plaza. Hop and Sonia watch as he kicks and screams, trying everything he can to break from Oleana’s surprisingly strong grip on his arm. 

“What a piece of work he is.” Hop says, turning to the chairman. He sees Victor laying limp in his arms, and nearly chokes up, “Is he… is he gonna be alright.” 

“He’ll be fine.” the chairman nods, “He’ll just need some help is all.” 

“What happened to him?” Sonia asks, “I’ve never seen anything like his behavior. It was almost like he was a Pokémon.” 

“That’s because in a way he has the mind of one.” the chairman sighs, “Bede stole old technology from my laboratory at Rose Tower. It was an experiment that we were working on a long time ago to try and give humans the abilities of Pokémon. It was brought out from the idea of bridging the gap between humans and Pokémon, as well as to give disabled children the power to overcome their disabilities. In reality, all we came up with was a concoction that would change the behavior of a human and turn them into a servant for whoever their master was.” 

“That’s horrible!” Hop yells.

“It is, and that’s why we locked it away in the lab. No one was ever to touch it again. We did casual experiments on it every now and then to see if its nature had changed, or to discover an antidote, but it never did. Now it seems that Victor has fallen victim to it as well, thanks to Bede’s treachery.”

“Can you bring him back?” Hop pleads, tears forming in his eyes, “I mean, back to normal?” 

“I’m afraid he’ll never be the same,” the chairman shakes his head, “We’ve never come up with a viable antidote to the treatment. I’m afraid he’ll be stuck in this outfit for the foreseeable future. However, I can change who his master is.”

“What do you mean?” Hop wipes the tears from his eyes. 

“Hop, will you take Bede’s place as Victor’s master? I can’t bring back everything about him, but perhaps you can. Expose him to his past life. His memories are still within his mind. They have just been sealed away by Bede. You can bring them back. Have him serve you, and you’ll surely bring him back to the way he was.” 

“I.. I don’t know about this…” Hop admits, “It feels… wrong. He’s my friend, not a slave.” 

“Then don’t treat him like he’s a slave.” the chairman winks, “I’ll make the necessary changes. I’ll bring him back to you when he’s ready. For now, I would head back to Postwick and rest while you can. You have a lot to think about with this.” With that, Chairman Rose turns towards the ramp, carrying the limp Victor in his arms. From a distance, it looks like Victor has fallen asleep after a long hike or battle. In reality, the situation is much worse. 

Hop wipes more tears from his eyes, and clenches his fist. “I’ll bring you back, Victor. I promise.” Hop vows. He turns to the ruined mural, keeping the image of it in his head, and examining the rubble. Sonia joins him, looking to see if any of it can be preserved or restored. The cloud of dust has mostly settled and vanished, revealing the extent of the damage, as well as what was hidden behind it. 

**Coda**

**A Week Later**

**Hop’s House, Postwick, 10:30am**

Hop paces around his room, nervously waiting for something to arrive. He received a letter from Chairman Rose yesterday, which put him on edge. It stated that Victor was ready to come home. Victor had completed all of his therapy and mental reprogramming and would be coming home today before noon. The trainer was so giddy he could barely sleep that night. He even asked Wooloo to jump up over his bed so he could count him, in a vain effort to get to sleep. With bags under his eyes, he waits impatiently for the doorbell to ring, waiting for Victor to arrive once again.

“What do I do, what do I do?” he asks himself, messing with his hair as he paces, “What should I say to him? ‘Hi Victor! How are you? How was your reprogramming?’ Bloody hell I’m in a rut now.” 

“Beh!” Wooloo cries, seeing Hop frustrated by Victor’s upcoming arrival. She hops off the bed and rubs against Hop’s leg, trying to distract him and calm him down. 

“Hehe… you’re right, Wooloo.” he says, picking her up and stroking her wool, “I’m worrying too much about this. It’s gonna be fine, I know it!” 

**DING DONG**

“OH THAT MUST BE HIM!” Hop yells, dropping Wooloo on the ground like a hot potato and rushing down the stairs. His faithful Pokémon darts after him, nearly careening down the stairs as her short hooves can’t quite make it down the steps that fast. He crashes into the door, nearly breaking it down with how fast he ran. 

“Ouch! That’s gonna leave a mark tomorrow.” he moans, rubbing his forehead. He unlatches the door and swings it open. 

Standing on the other side, looking rather sheepish in his latex Scorbunny suit. The chairman had told him that he wouldn’t be able to take it off. Hop’s eyes begin to water, staring at his friend. Victor blushes as his friend, or at least who he has been told is his friend, continuously looks at him like he’s someone important. He has a bag slung over his shoulder, carrying everything that he needed, though it’s still half empty from the looks of it. 

“H-Hi, M-Master Hop.” Victor stammers, “I-It’s nice to see you.” 

“It’s nice to see you too, Victor.” Hop replies, smiling, “And please… don’t call me your master. I’m your friend, and that’s all I want to be with you is your friend.” 

“O-Ok…” Victor blushes, “C-Can I come in?” 

“Sure, come on in,” Hop steps back, letting the guest into his home, “Let’s go up to my room. We can talk in private there. Wooloo will lead the way.” 

“Ok…” Victor nods, walking up the stairs, following Wooloo to Hop’s room. He looks down at the fluffy sheep Pokémon, curious about it, “I feel like I know you.. I feel like I know a lot about this place too.” 

“You do… It’s gonna take a while for you to get your memories back.” Hop tells him, “I’m sure the chairman told you all about that this past week.” 

“Yeah.. he did…” Victor lowers his head, as they reach Hop’s room. He steps in, looking around. Everything inside is vaguely familiar to him, but he doesn’t know why. They’re like memories. Déjà vu for a life he didn’t know was his. “He told me a lot of things, and I don’t know if it’s all real or not.” He sits down on the bed, “I-I still don’t believe that Master Bede did what he did to me. I just can’t believe it.” 

“Well, you don’t have to right now.” Hop insists,sitting down next to him, “It’s gonna take a lot of time for you to get back to where you were, and we’ll do it together, slowly.” He rubs Victor’s back, feeling the latex that coats him. He can’t help but feel envious. The suit feels so good to the touch. _And he’s wearing this like it’s nothing,_ he thinks, _Man if it wasn’t for the whole slave thing, I’d probably get one of these two._ He keeps his thoughts to himself, and tries to conceal the boner in his pants. 

“Well, if that’s what you want, then that’s what we’ll do.” Victor says, perking up slightly, “I know you said you don’t want me to call you master, and I won’t, but I’ll do what you want because that’s what I think is right. I-I don’t know if I’ll ever get to this point of ‘normalcy’ everyone’s telling me I’ll get to, but if I can get close for you, I’ll try.” 

“There ya go.” Hop smiles, “Now then, what should we do first?” 

“I… I don’t know… I’m not used to making decisions on my own.” Victor blushes, “M-Maybe back… y’know in that time when everyone says I wasn’t like this, maybe I was.” 

“You were. You were always very sure of yourself.” Hop tells him, “I know! How about a Pokémon battle? That’s sure to jog your memory!” 

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Victor smiles, jumping up from the bed, reaching into his bag, and pulling out his Pokémon belt. The very same one that he had when he left Postwick the very first time. Hop grabs his own Pokémon and heads down to the arena in the front yard. The two trainers race each other down the steps and out the front door, eager to fight. Victor’s latex squeaks the whole way down, the sound music to Hop’s ears strangely enough. 

The two take their positions outside, standing opposite each other on the concrete arena in the yard. The sun is bright, but the wind is cool, keeping them feeling nice. “You ready, Victor!” Hop asks, “I won’t go easy on you!” 

“Yes, M-” Victor stops himself before he finishes that word. He shakes his head, focuses, and continues, “That’s funny. I was just about to say the same thing to you too, Hop!” Victor smirks, grabbing one of his Poké Balls from his belt. 

“OH a little trash talk eh? Let’s see how far that takes you!” Hop smiles, throwing out his first Pokémon, “Go Thwackey!” the ball cracks open midair, a shimmering light pouring out from it, forming the Grass-type Beat Pokémon on the ground below. 

“Go Raboot!” Victor yells, throwing his own out into the arena. The Rabbit Pokemon appears before him, standing ready to face his opponent. The battle begins, and the two Pokémon face off in a match their trainers had been waiting for for a long time. 

As they battle, Victor feels some of his confidence come back to him. His mind begins to clear ever so slightly. The trash talk helped, and the battle helps even more. For the first time in a long time, he feels like he’s in his place. Victor looks across the battlefield. He knows not to call Hop his master, and the thought is still there to call him that, but already, he’s starting to think that he won’t use that term anymore. Instead of a master, he sees a friend in Hop. 


End file.
